VIDEO/NEWS REPORT: McClintock claims victory

ashley Baer/Gold Country News ServicesState Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, makes a victory announcement Monday at his election headquarters in Roseville – almost a month after the Nov. 4 election.

ROSEVILLE – In front by almost 1,800 votes with all but El Dorado County certifying Nov. 4 election results, 4th congressional district Republican candidate Tom McClintock held a victory press conference Monday.
Democratic Party candidate Charlie Brown has polled 183,840 votes to the GOP candidate’s 185,615 – a 1,775- vote difference.
“The liberal wave that swept over American lapped at the edges of this district but it was here in the 4th District of California that the wave was turned back,” McClintock said. “When the final votes were counted, the people of the 4th congressional district made a decision to stand on the traditional American principles of individual freedom and limited government – and it will be my distinct honor to carry that message to the 111th Congress of the United States.”
Brown issued a statement Monday saying he “remains committed to ensuring a fair and accurate count where every voice is heard and will be evaluating the results over the next 24 to 48 hours to determine if any additional action is warranted on the part of our campaign.”
The difference between the two candidates is just less than half of a percentage point. A recount is possible, although McClintock used two state elections as benchmarks against extending the count – where candidates were separated by fewer votes and fewer percentage points that the 4th District election but were not moving forward with recounts.
Speaking at Roseville campaign headquarters to an audience of supporters flanked by regional media representatives, McClintock made a formal statement of victory. Counts over the past three weeks have increased his lead by more than 1,000 votes over election-night totals..
The margin of victory puts the possibility of a recount changing the District 4 outcome well outside the realm of possibility, he had said in announcing the press conference.
McClintock made his remarks at his Eureka Road campaign headquarters, which are now being used as McClintock’s congressional transition office.
McClintock, who currently represents Ventura County in the state Senate, lives in Elk Grove but said his wife, Lori, has been looking at homes in the district in Rocklin and Roseville. During freshman orientation two weeks ago in Washington, D.C. – which both candidates attended – McClintock said he worked with current U.S. Rep. John Doolittle’s staff on transition details.
Brown, a retired Air Force lieutenant-colonel from Roseville, had narrowly lost to Doolittle, R-Roseville, two years ago.
McClintock said two factors – a “brutal” primary against Doug Ose and the liberal “tidal wave” – accounted for the close election race.
The press conference drew several dozen supporters, including a group of Republicans from Lassen County, where McClintock gained his strongest support, polling 62.9 percent of the vote.
Hallelujah Junction’s Alan Schumacher was part of the Lassen County group. He’s been a McClintock supporter since the early 1990s.
“Tom stands for everything good and right in this country,” Schumacher said.
Bonnie Williams, a McClintock campaign volunteer from Fair Oaks, said her candidate should take a message of fiscal responsibility to Washington that will help the nation.
“Things wouldn’t be the way they are if the government in California would have listened to him,” Williams said.
County’s have until Dec. 2 to complete their canvas. Once that is done, candidates have five days to ask each of nine counties in the district for a recount, which they must pay for themselves.
The Journal’s Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.
Click here to see video of this event, McClintock claims victory